Snow Raven
by Golem XIV
Summary: A Rune of Oblivion appears in Jump City. A Mark of Scath appears in Skyrim. Both worlds face annihilation - and both have to provide heroes to avoid it. Beware of spoilers for the game. Now completed.
1. Prologue

_Jump City, California_

 _Present day, 0248 hours_

A black raven flew over the sleeping city, almost invisible against the dark backdrop of the sky, except as a silhouette when its form extinguished a star for a moment as it passed under it.

It landed noiselessly on top of the Museum of Archaeology and waddled over the roof as if looking for something, pecking at the floor every so often.

Eventually it found what it was looking for, and after a few more exploratory pecks, it spread its wings and flew up. It was difficult to see in the dark, but the bird appeared to go through a metamorphosis, its shape becoming less defined. What could be plainly seen, if there was anyone to see it, were the two sets of red, glowing eyes placed one above the other on its head. The spectral bird dove towards the spot it had found, and flew through the roof like a ghost to reach what it was ultimately seeking.

After traversing several levels, passing with the same ghostly ease through solid concrete, it found itself in the museum's vaults, where specimens were collected, studied and prepared for display.

The object it was looking for was not locked or guarded. It was on top of a desk, among shards of pottery and stone arrowheads. Whoever left it there obviously did not considered it anything more than a curiosity. It was a small stone square, about two inches long and slightly less wide, with a strange symbol on it – a horizontal line with two curved, pointed lines descending from it, like long fangs, and a single dot in the middle between them.

The specter hovered over it. The small stone slowly floated up and disappeared inside the bird's ghostly body. Immediately, the bird seemed to collapse inward and vanish, together with its prize. There were no traces left.

* * *

 _College of Winterhold, Province of Skyrim, Tamriel_

 _Year 4E 408, 12_ _th_ _Last Seed, 0302 hours_

The Archmage's quarters were silent and empty. The emptiness was suddenly broken as a shimmering portal sprung up from the floor and a scamp scurried out from it. The scamp paused to take its bearings and then quickly moved to do what it came for. Its primitive mind was focused on the set of simple instructions that its master burned into it.

 _Find it. Take it. Bring it. If discovered, destroy yourself._

It padded soundlessly around the circular room until it found what it was looking for – a small stone disk or token with a serpentine rune etched into it in flaming red. It quickly grabbed the disk, and looking around to make sure it had not been seen, passed through the portal to wherever it came from. The portal vanished, and the Archmage's quarters returned to silence and emptiness.


	2. The Portent

_College of Winterhold, Province of Skyrim, Tamriel_

 _Year 4E 408, 12_ _th_ _Last Seed, 0913 hours_

Urag gro-Shub raised his eyes from the book he was reading and frowned at the tall Dunmer entering the Library.

"Greetings, Archmage Othrelas. Please be mindful of my books!" he said.

"I know, Urag. I would rather confront a flight of dragons than stain a single page of the least valuable book here!" the newcomer said, a smile on his face.

"Good!" the gruff Orc librarian growled. "I have taught you well, then."

The Dunmer laughed. "That you have!" His face became serious. "But I didn't come for books. I cannot find that strange token I showed you two days ago. Perhaps I left it with you?"

"That you did not."

"I was certain I left it on my desk in my quarters, but I cannot find it now. I thought I forgot it with you."

"You did no such thing. If you left it in your quarters, it must be there still. No one enters the quarters of Archmage Othrelas."

"Darys, Urag. Just call me Darys. You know I hate that kind of formality."

"I do. That is why I use it."

Darys sighed. There was a bond between the two, forged through the months of studying together. He knew Urag enjoyed his 'gruff librarian' act and that he wouldn't change, not even for his friend – or his superior, for that matter.

"I will look again in my quarters, then. It may have fallen and rolled off into some corner."

The librarian lowered his book and looked at the Archmage. "There are no corners in your quarters. Your quarters are circular."

"Urag…"

"Sometimes I despair of your dimness, Archmage Othrelas. The token did not have legs or wings for it to move by itself. There were no earthquakes. If it is not in its place, it follows that someone took it."

Darys' eyes narrowed, a red glow awakening in them. "Are you saying someone stole it?"

" _I_ am not saying anything. The facts are saying it."

The two mages looked at each other. Understanding passed between them without the need of words being exchanged.

"So it must be much more important than we thought, if someone would risk burglarizing the quarters of the Archmage of the College of Winterhold in order to procure it." Darys said, thoughtfully. "Have you made any progress finding out what it represents?"

"No" Urag said, frowning. "And that is what is annoying me." Darys smiled inwardly. It was the closest Urag would go to an apology for his gruff manner, even to his friend.

Urag stood up, waving his arm to take in the endless bookshelves in the Library. "It is not Dwemer. It is not Daedric. It is not even Falmer! I was not able to find any reference to it in any of the books."

"This is starting to get… interesting. Where do you suggest we search further?"

"This is the finest library in Tamriel. If there is no reference to be found here, I doubt you will find any mention of it anywhere else."

They were both silent for a minute, their eyes focused inwards, thinking about the problem.

Finally, Urag spoke. "There is only one repository of knowledge greater than the one I manage."

Darys' eyes lit up. "The Lexicon of Avanchnzel!"

Urag nodded and returned to his book. Nothing more needed to be said.

* * *

Avanchnzel, the City of Memory of the mysterious Dwemer. The place where they pooled all their knowledge and placed it into a small cube that could fit on the palm of his hand.

As Darys crept slowly through the corridors of Avanchnzel, memories flooded into his mind and made him smile.

 _I was here to_ return _the damn thing. Now I have to take it back. Who says Fate does not have a sense of humor?_

Dwemer ruins were never safe. Even though Darys already went through Avanchnzel before, he knew that the Dwemer automated factories kept fabricating their constructs, Dwemer spiders repairing any damage they could, digging for ore and looking for intruders. The remains of the automatons he destroyed while he was here were gone, probably taken away to be melted down and re-cast. The place was just as dangerous as when he walked its halls the first time.

Soon his suspicions were confirmed, as two Guardian spheres dropped from iris-like niches on the walls and sped towards him. His sword sang from its sheath and in the same move slashed through the closest machine's arm. He reversed the swing and the thing's head flew up, while the rest of the body kept rolling until it slammed into a wall.

A hard impact on his right shoulder spun him around, making him drop his sword. He lifted his left hand, concentrated, and the second sphere was consumed in a raging inferno of flame. The charred remains rolled for a few feet more and disintegrated into scrap.

He checked his shoulder and saw the bolt stuck in the armor. It did not penetrate, but the impact bruised his shoulder. He ripped the bolt from the dragonscale where it was embedded, threw it away and picked up his sword.

Darys smiled grimly. _I was looking forward to the rest of my days in quiet study. So much for that._ His smile widened. _Can't say I'm not enjoying it, though._

After several hours of traversing the Dwemer halls and corridors, he came to the place he was looking for, the Boilery.

He paused in front of the door to give himself time to recover his breath. Getting here was not easy, but he knew what awaited inside was worse. It would be folly to proceed tired and with depleted magicka reserves.

He quickly took stock of his possessions, making sure that the potions – especially the healing potions – were at hand. Finally, feeling that he was ready, he entered the Boilery.

As soon as he stepped in he knew he was in trouble. The last time he was here, there were two huge Centurions protecting the place, but one of them had been destroyed by a small band of thieves that crept in and stole the Lexicon. The same band of thieves whose sole, demented survivor begged him to return the Lexicon to its resting place and release her from her madness.

Both Centurions were repaired, standing in their gantries. As he entered, the restraining bolts in the pods hissed open, releasing puffs of steam, and both centurions stepped down from their gantries to challenge the puny mortal that dared intrude upon them.

The first Centurion released a hissing cloud of superheated steam at him. He was too far for the steam to affect him, but it hid the automatons and made him lose his bearings for a moment. Suddenly, a glancing blow from the Centurion's hammer-like arm struck him in the chest and tossed him some ten feet, to land painfully on his back.

He got up quickly, ignoring his pain and breathlessness. The dragonscale armor absorbed most of the hit, but he would have a nasty bruise on his chest to remind him of his folly for several days. There was no more time for medical considerations, however, because the two huge constructs were quickly approaching. He needed to separate them and fight them one by one if he wanted to emerge victorious. He looked at the charging monsters and opened his mouth.

 _Fus... RO DAH!_

The closest automaton was thrown back against the wall, where it fell with a deafening clank. The second one was staggered, and Darys, wasting no time, jumped towards it, swinging his sword in a wide arc. The dragonbone blade was stronger that the Dwemer alloy and it bit deeply into the creature's leg. Bereft of support, the Centurion crashed to the ground, as Darys lifted his sword and stabbed it downwards into the expressionless mask that represented the automaton's face. A huge cloud of steam boiled out and the sound of gears in its mechanisms wound down.

"One down!" he said to himself with satisfaction.

Quickly turning around, he saw the other Centurion striding towards him, raising an arm with a built-in battleaxe. The battleaxe swung, but Darys ducked. His dragonbone sword sung again, and the metallic hand with the battleaxe flew up, to land with a clang on the floor.

Any living foe would have been at least slowed down by the horrible wound, but the Centurion was a construct. Without even pausing, it swung its other arm, formed like a hammer, and struck a savage blow on Darys' shoulder.

Again, Darys was thrown several feet back, but this time the distinct sound of cracking bone and the blinding pain that shot from his shoulder told him that the damage was a lot worse than a bruise. He dropped his sword, ignoring the pain radiating from his left shoulder and concentrated. He lifted his right hand and a bolt of lightning shot out to strike at the automaton. The huge construct stopped in its tracks. Darys got to his feet, his left arm hanging uselessly, his right arm still extended, a blinding, sizzling electric arc still connecting his hand and the Centurion.

Darys kept the lightning strike going until the Centurion finally fell to the floor, releasing a cloud of steam, as if it was giving out its last breath. Darys dropped to his knees, breathing heavily.

With his right hand he opened a healing potion and drank it greedily. Dizziness overcame him when a fresh wave of pain exploded in his shoulder, as his bones moved to their correct position and knitted themselves together.

He knelt for a few moments, recovering his breath. The pain in his shoulder was much reduced, but he would have to see Colette at the College to make sure there was no lasting damage.

He got up, gingerly testing his left shoulder. He walked to the Lexicon Receptacle and touched it. The internal mechanism whirred and the Lexicon was released. Darys took it and gazed at the small cube, its sides barely two inches long.

"OK, that was the easy part. Now how in Oblivion do I read what's in there?"


	3. The Search

_Isle of Solstheim, Tamriel_

 _Year 4E 408, 24_ _th_ _Last Seed, 1145 hours_

Darys Othrelas paused to take in the majestic, hundred-feet-tall mushroom. It was surrounded by several smaller ones. Each mushroom had a staircase leading up to its stalk, with a sturdy wooden door at the end.

Darys climbed the stairs to the largest mushroom and opened the door. He found himself inside the stalk, in a tall, vertical tube without any stairs or handholds. But he had been here many times before and knew what he was supposed to do.

He concentrated on the mushroom's magic and reached out with his hand. He felt himself swiftly elevated and gently deposited on a platform some sixty feet above.

The platform served as the entrance to a large room, obviously carved out from the inside of the mushroom cap. Darys looked around, but he couldn't see anyone. Then he heard the voices coming from a small niche in the mushroom wall.

"Master, I really don't think it's a good idea…"

"Nonsense! I know exactly what went wrong when I implanted the heartstone into Ildari. You are in no danger. Well, probably not, but that's why experimental magic is so exciting."

"If you don't mind, master, I'd rather…"

"Oh, don't be a baby. I now know that the connecting soul thread has to be knotted three times, once for the heart, once for the spirit, and once for the body. The knot gives the connection the strength that is the key."

Darys cleared his throat and called out. "Master Neloth? Hello?"

Neloth appeared from the niche, followed by Talvas Fathryon wearing an extremely relieved expression.

"Yes, who interrupts? Ah, it is Darys Othrelas! Do you need anything?"

"As a matter of fact, Master Neloth, I do."

"Well, I'm sorry, but you caught me in the middle of a most important experiment." Neloth's eyes narrowed. "Unless, of course, you may be willing to help me? My assistant –" he waved a deprecating hand at Talvas Fathryon "– has some doubts about possible side effects, even though I explained to him that I will suffer from no ills related to it!"

Darys rolled his eyes at the monumental ego of the man. Actually, he shouldn't complain, he was counting on it to get Neloth to help him.

"I apologize for the interruption, Master Neloth, but there is something I think you will find extremely interesting."

"Hm. I doubt it, but you may tell me and we shall see."

"A few weeks ago, I found a strange token in Bthungthamz. It was a stone disk, about an inch and a half in diameter, with a red, serpentine rune carved into it."

Darys lifted his hand and a large representation of the token appeared between the two mages, slowly rotating.

"We have been researching it as a curiosity, but our interest in it increased dramatically for two reasons. First, we could not find any reference to it in any volume that we had in the Library of the College of Winterhold, which is more than strange. Second, someone recently stole it from the Archmage's quarters."

A red glow appeared in Neloth's eyes. Darys smiled with satisfaction, knowing that the old wizard was just as good as hooked.

Neloth looked at the illusion of the token, slowly rotating still, and lifting his own hand, stopped the rotation so that he could concentrate on the sign.

"This is not a rune. It is a sign, or a mark. But I must confess I haven't the slightest idea of what or whom."

"As I said, we couldn't find –"

"Yes, yes." Neloth waved dismissively. "The College of Winterhold is not really what it used to be, it is coasting now on its past reputation. Just look at who they chose to be Archmage!" Neloth said, looking at Darys down his nose. "But I do admit that their library was always excellent."

Darys sighed. There was no point in being annoyed with the old wizard.

"I talked with Urag gro-Shub and we –"

"Bah, an apprentice talking to an Orc! You doubtlessly had much to say to each other about how to prepare giant's toe soup!"

"No", Darys said, gritting his teeth. "We agreed that if anyone knew anything about this, it would have been the Dwemer."

"Ah, you surprise me! That was actually a useful thought. So you came to me, Tamriel's foremost expert on the Dwemer, with questions?"

"Not exactly. I first went to Avanchnzel to recover this." Darys said, showing the Lexicon.

"The Lexicon of Avanchnzel!" exclaimed Neloth, his eyes burning red with greed. "How –"

"Guess." Darys said dryly. "How can I get the information from here?"

Neloth stood silent for a while, drinking the sight of the coveted cube with his eyes. Then he relaxed, the red glow in his eyes extinguished, and said "In no way that I am familiar with."

Darys' shoulders slumped. "If you don't know…"

Neloth walked over to his desk, sat behind it and looked at Darys. "There _may_ … just _may_ be someone, as distasteful it is for me to admit it."

Darys' head shot up, piercing the mage with his eyes. "Who?"

"Divayth Fyr."

* * *

 _Tel Fyr, Isle of Vvardenfel, Tamriel_

 _Year 4E 408, 19_ _th_ _Hearthfire, 1433 hours_

The ashes from Red Mountain covered much of the island where Tel Fyr sat, but around the mushroom tower there was none. Whether it was cleaned after it fell or the influence of the tower's master kept it from accumulating, there was no way to know.

With more apprehension than he would care to admit, Darys walked up the ramp, carved into a sinuous stalk of mushroom, that led to the tower's entrance.

Divayth Fyr was a legend. He was rumored to be more than four thousand years old. His power was immense, his knowledge unbounded. He could rule all of Tamriel if he so desired, but Divayth Fyr was not interested in such trifles. Darys tried to remember everything he knew about him, but most of what he had heard or read was either folk myth or unsubstantiated rumors.

He opened the door and found himself in a large entryway. A Dunmer woman in bonemold armor approached him.

"You are in Onyx Hall, home of Divayth Fyr. I am Beyte Fyr, his… daughter. Have you come to loot the tower?"

Darys was confused. "Loot? I… No, I'm…" he forced himself to snap out of it. "I am looking for Master Fyr. I need to ask him an important question."

"You will find him in the Hall of Fyr. A word of warning – if you go to the Corprusarium, remember not to harm the inmates."

"Um… thanks, I guess."

Darys climbed to the next level, where a door led to the Hall of Fyr. Inside he found himself again in a vertical tube.

 _Damn Telvanni mages and their mushrooms,_ he thought.

He reached out with his hand, found the magic and used it to elevate himself to the mushroom's cap.

Divayth Fyr was standing in front of a small table littered with books, scrolls and rare Dwemer artifacts. He was covered in Daedric armor but carried no weapon. He lifted his head from the item he was studying and looked at the newcomer.

"Dovakhiin – Dragonborn. It is good to see you. Please join me and tell me what you wish from me."

His voice was melodious, soft, but powerful. He had red eyes, like all Dunmer, but there was a depth to them that left Darys almost mesmerized. Darys shook his head, trying to clear the effect Fyr's eyes had on him, and spoke.

"You know who I am?"

"Of course. The dragon blood cannot be hidden from me. Nor can a doom such as yours. Now, you said you needed to peruse of my wisdom?"

Darys looked around but found no place to sit down. His confusion mounted, until finally he forced himself to ignore his surroundings and get to the point. "Master Fyr, thank you for seeing me. I will start the story from the beginning."

He then proceeded to recount to Divayth Fyr all that transpired – his accidental find of a strange mark or sign, its theft, his search for the Lexicon in Avanchzel, finishing with Neloth's recommendation.

"Can you show me this mark?"

"Yes, Master Fyr" said Darys, repeating the simple spell he had cast for Neloth. The representation of the token slowly rotated, the serpentine mark on it glowing a malevolent red.

Divayth Fyr leaned closer to study the token. Finally he touched it and it disappeared, the enchantment dispelled.

"I know what this is. But your trip to Avanchnzel was not wasted, for I do not give away wisdom for free."

Darys understood immediately what the ancient wizard was talking about. He took out the Lexicon and offered it to Divayth.

Divayth Fyr took the Lexicon, turned and placed it on the table, together with many other Dwemer objects. He turned back to Darys and spoke.

"The token you have shown me is called the Mark of Scath. It is a sign of a powerful demon – akin to a Daedric prince – that resides in another plane. I do not know much about him, save that he and his ilk are representations of Chaos, Change and Destruction. This demon – Trigon – is one of the most powerful of his kind."

"Just like the Daedra, then?"

Divayth frowned. "No. While the Daedra in some cases may be considered to be 'evil', they are not inherently so. Daedra have their own purposes, which are beyond the ken of mortals, and therefore it is difficult, and often dangerous, to classify them as 'good' or 'evil'. Demons, however, are most definitely 'evil'. They are much closer to mortals in that aspect. But you are not here for a lecture on comparative extraplanar morality."

"Indeed. But what could the stealing of a symbol of one of their mightiest mean? How did this symbol get to Mundus in the first place?

"How it got here is not really a mystery. All the planes constantly jostle and collide with each other, though we do not have the senses to feel it. In these collisions, sometimes small pieces of one fall into the other. In this specific case, because of the nature of the plane and the nature of the demon that rules over the plane, the token you found was inscribed with the Mark of Scath".

Darys was puzzled. "Do you mean that this mark appeared on the disk as a way of saying 'Property of Trigon'?"

"You are putting it quite crudely, but accurately. Trigon is said to be extremely possessive. He is also always looking to increase his influence."

Darys frowned. "I see. I wonder why someone would like to steal it …"

Divayth Fyr gave him a sly smile. "Oh, but I thought that was obvious. You see, pieces of planes always retain a connection to their origins, no matter where they end up."

Darys' blue-grey skin went ashen. "But that means that whoever stole it is preparing to invite this being, this Trigon, into Mundus?"

"Your assessment is correct, but beyond what I told you and what you just deduced, I am afraid I cannot help you any further."

Darys felt defeated. He learned much, but what he learned only opened an avalanche of new questions.

"Thank you for your help, Master Fyr. I will return to the College now and see if we can divinate something."

"Two things before you go. There is someone that can help you, if there is a possibility that this being will try to manifest itself on Mundus. You must go to the shrine of Azura and commune with her. The shrine on Vvardenfell has been destroyed, but I hear that there is a shrine in Skyrim, close to the College."

"That is so. And the second thing?"

"The second thing is that time may be of the essence. Stand still while I teleport you there."

* * *

 _Shrine of Azura, province of Skyrim, Tamriel_

 _Year 4E 408, 19_ _th_ _Hearthfire, 1810 hours_

Darys placed his hands at the altar and looked at the enormous statue of Azura towering over him.

 _Welcome back, my champion. I was expecting you._

"Lady Azura, I come with a request."

 _I know. I shall help you. We shall all help you._

"All?" Darys was puzzled.

 _Be still and listen. The being that you learned about – Trigon – has managed to touch Mehrunes Dagon. Both were looking for the same thing. Both found what they wanted. Now they plot together. Their wish for domination is as one. Dagon will invade the world that Trigon wanted to rule, and Trigon will manifest on Mundus to become its overlord._

"Mehrunes Dagon? The Daedric Prince of Destruction?"

 _Aye. Destruction, Change, Revolution, Energy, and Ambition. They will exchange realms, for no magic of this realm can harm Trigon, and no craft of the other realm can withstand Mehrunes Dagon. That is their plan._

"But then… Can anything be done? Can the Aedra help?"

A slow rumbling shook the mountain, starting several avalanches.

 _Bah! Aedra! Even if they ever wake up from their slumber, they will be helpless. They are bound to the Bones of the Earth. Trigon is not._

"But there must be something we can do!"

 _There is. Now cease your interference and listen to what you must do._


	4. The Portal

_Jump City, California_

 _Present day, 0443 hours_

She tossed and turned in her bed, asleep but not resting. The dream she was having was not quite a dream, nor was it quite a nightmare. She woke up and opened her eyes, the dream disappearing immediately from her memory.

She looked at the wall clock.

 _Quarter to five. Great. Too early to get up, but maybe not too late to go back to sleep._

She only then noticed the softly glowing rune floating in the middle of her room. In less than a second she was out of bed, levitating and facing the floating rune, her hands surrounded by a crackling nimbus of black energy.

 _By all that's… What_ is _that?_

The rune had a horizontal line at the top, from whose ends two curving lines went downwards, first expanding out and then curving inwards, like scimitars. _Or fangs,_ she thought. There was a small dot in the middle. It looked like a vertical eye with a small pupil, or maybe a door… _A portal? Will something come out of it?_

She opened her mouth to start the incantation that would seal the rune in an unbreakable sphere of impenetrable black, to gain a measure of safety while she studied it more carefully. At that precise time, a voice came from the rune.

 _Raven? Sorceress Raven? Is this you?_

Overcoming her surprise, Raven replied.

"It may be. Who are you? Why are you here? What do you want?"

 _Your caution is commendable, young sorceress, but the sending was attuned to you only. Nobody else could see or hear it. Therefore, I am certain I am speaking with the sorceress called Raven._

"Very well, I am Raven. Who are you?"

 _My name is Darys Othrelas, but I don't expect that it means anything to you._

"You got that one right."

 _I am speaking to you from another plane – another dimension – another universe. I am contacting you because you will need my help soon, and I will need yours. I need you to open this portal from your side and let me in to your plane._

"Not going to happen. I already got burned once by letting disembodied voices convince me to drag something into our world."

The voice coming from the rune was silent for a few seconds.

 _I… see. Some previous experience has made you wary. Is there anything I can do to convince you otherwise?_

"You can start by telling me your story, then I will think about it and decide. No guarantees."

 _Unfortunately, I cannot maintain the sending that long. If you do not trust me, then remember this rune well. When the time comes, you will know what to do._

The rune slowly broke apart and vanished.

Raven floated there for several seconds more, then returned to her bed.

 _So much for going back to sleep._

* * *

The next few days Raven barely left her room, consulting her books, casting divinations, trying to find any shred of information or evidence about the rune she saw, or about the name Darys Othrelas. But wherever she turned, she ended up empty-handed.

The other Titans noticed that Raven was even grumpier than usual, and after an unfortunate incident involving Beast Boy and his attempt to spy on Raven, they gave up trying to fathom what was going on. As Cyborg reported from Sickbay, where he was looking after Beast Boy, "Well, he'll be looking like Mr. Potato Head for a couple of days more, but whatever she did to him also made his eyes and ears regenerate quickly, and there should be no lasting harm."

A week had passed since the visitation, with no further incidents, except that Raven's frustration level was rising to perilous heights. She was pacing her room in an even blacker mood than usual, when the sudden blaring of the Crime Alert wrenched her out of her reverie. Thankful for an opportunity to clear her mind, she flew out of her room to join the others.

As the Titans grouped to face the danger, they were amazed to see an army of demonic-looking creatures swarm through the streets. The creatures were man-like, but with red skin adorned with black paint or tattoos. They had pointed ears and small horns on their heads. The heavy armor they appeared to wear was black and red, and curving spikes protruded from it, especially from the shoulders. The strange army ported an assortment of medieval weapons – swords, axes, maces and bows. But it was not their appearance or their numbers that stunned the Titans.

Behind this rampaging army, an enormous monster strode, waving four arms and destroying everything around it. One arm was holding a battleaxe the size of a bus, while another had three claw-like blades extending from the forearm and over the hand. The other two hands were empty, but not less dangerous, releasing streams of flames and bolts of lightning.

Robin shook his head, snapping out of it, and shouted. "Raven, Starfire, go for the big guy! Beast Boy, Cyborg, form on me and let's go for the other ones! Titans! Go!"

The Titans, spurred into action, charged. Beast Boy transformed into a triceratops and crashed into the thick of the advancing horde, scattering the humanoids all over. Cyborg shot a continuous blast from his Shock Cannon, sweeping his arm to knock down dozens of attackers. Robin jumped right into the melee, his staff whirling, birdarangs flashing from his hands. They soon cleared a large portion of the street. Satisfied, Robin looked up to see how the girls were faring against the huge monster.

The situation there was a lot different. Starfire's bolts and beams had no effect on the hulking creature. Raven's black energy simply bounced off. Raven switched to telekinesis, throwing several vehicles at the monster, but it brushed them all away. The move attracted the monster's attention, however, and as it saw her, it voiced a huge bellow and lifted one of his empty hands towards her. A bolt of lightning shot from the hand, just as Raven expanded a black sphere around herself. The bolt struck the sphere and was stopped, but the sphere disintegrated and some of the power of the strike was transferred to Raven. She was thrown against a concrete wall, lost consciousness and started falling.

"Starfire!" Robin pointed. "Raven!"

But Starfire had already seen what happened and was streaking in a green flash towards her friend. She caught Raven in her arms, and avoiding several gouts of flame that the monster sent her way, landed with her on top of a building, at a safe distance from the huge creature.

Robin's relief was short-lived. As he glanced back from where Starfire had landed with Raven, he saw that the horde of unearthly creatures was still advancing. All the damage they've caused to them did not seem to have reduced their numbers.

He threw himself back into the thick of the enemy, striking with the staff, kicking, punching. Dozens of the demonic humanoids went down. Beast Boy was wreaking havoc as a stegosaurus, his tail knocking out several creatures on every sweep. He then reared up and dropped his massive bulk down, the concussion toppling scores of them. Cyborg lifted his arm and smashed it into the ground. The ground split open, cracks snaking at lightning speed away from the impact point, widening and swallowing dozens of attackers.

But it was not enough. No matter how many of them they took down, their numbers seemed to be inexhaustible. Worse, fresh hordes of humanoids started pouring from the side streets, threatening to encircle them. The huge monster slowly strode towards them.

On the building, Raven had just recovered and watched in horror with Starfire the battle below. The two girls quickly flew towards the other Titans. They did not have to make plans, both sensed exactly what they had to do.

As the three Titans found themselves surrounded, fighting for their lives, Starfire swooped down from up high and grabbed Robin by his arms, flying away with him. Raven landed and her soul-self emerged, covering Beast Boy and Cyborg with its wings, and flying them all away with a defiant screech.

* * *

They landed on top of a building several blocks away, all breathing heavily and slightly dazed by how the events were unfolding.

"What on earth are those things? Where are they coming from? How many are there?"

"I dunno, man, but no matter how many we take down, more spring up to replace them. This ain't working!"

"They are like ants! We stomp them, we crush them, but there are still bazillions of them left!"

"Maybe you should turn into a giant aardvark then, little buddy!"

"This is no time for jokes, Cyborg. We are losing badly!"

Raven watched the horde of creatures advancing, the huge monster following them. "That thing is immune to my magic and to Starfire's bolts, and physical attacks are not harming it. I have never even heard of something like this."

"We have to find a way!" said Robin. "I say we concentrate on the big brute. I have a feeling that if we manage to take him down, the rest will go away!"

"Yes, but take him down how?" Raven responded, her control cracking. "Didn't you hear what I just – "

She then remembered.

 _When the time comes, you will know what to do._

She turned to the others. "Wait!"

She tried to concentrate on the rune.

"Raven, what –"

"Silence! Let me concentrate!"

The Titans fell silent. Raven recalled the rune in her mind and lifted her arm. A snakelike black bolt shot from her hand to a vacant spot on the roof. It started growing and elongating, forming the rune.

Raven lowered her arm, saying "I may have saved us, or I have doomed us all. Let's see which."

The black rune grew to more than eight feet high, changing from black energy to solid matter. Black, clawlike spikes shot upwards, shattering the concrete around it. The air inside the rune started shimmering, quickly turning into a reddish-yellow vortex.

"What is that thing?" said Beast Boy in an awed voice.

"It is a portal" said Raven dryly. "But I have no idea what will come out of it."

As she spoke, a figure stepped out of the portal. It was difficult to discern any details, but it was humanoid. The shimmering in the portal abated, and the newcomer stood before them.

"Greetings, young sorceress! I see you remembered my words in your hour of need. Let us hope it was not too late!"

"Greetings, Darys Othrelas" Raven responded. " _I_ hope I did not make a mistake in bringing you here!"

"You two know each other?" an incredulous Cyborg asked.

"Long story" growled Raven.

Robin studied Darys closely. He was wearing medieval-style full body armor, including a helmet that hid most of his face. The material of the armor was not metallic. Rather, it was made from some kind of large, iridescent scales, like the scales of a giant serpent. But there were no serpents with scales of that size. He shuddered.

His weapons were also from past ages. Darys wore a sword scabbarded on his left hip and a dagger on his right. On his back he carried a strung bow, made from something that resembled bone. A quiver of arrows completed the arsenal.

"Who is this guy, anyway? Where did he come from?" asked Beast Boy suspiciously.

Darys looked over at the approaching hordes of creatures and at the lumbering monster behind them. He turned to face the Titans.

"There is no time for explanations. Either you trust me and we may live, or you do not and we certainly die. What will it be?"

"It is not a question of trust. Can you defeat that?" Raven said, waving her arm to point at the monster behind her.

"I am the only one in this plane that has a chance."

"Not exactly the answer I was hoping for." Robin said. "What do we have to do?"

"You must keep him occupied for a while. That is all."

"Great. At least it's simple. Titans! Go!"

The Titans jumped down and resumed their assault on the otherworldly creatures invading their city. Darys watched them for a few seconds, then shouted in an incredibly powerful voice.

" _Mehrunes Dagon, Prince of Destruction! This realm is not for you!"_

The four-armed giant stopped, turned towards Darys, and roared a challenge.

Darys smiled grimly. "So be it."

He then lifted his head to the sky and shouted.

 _Dur… NEH… VIIR! Hear my Voice and come forth! I summon you in my time of need!_

A deafening roar answered, and out of the sun appeared what first looked like a large bird. As it came closer, it quickly grew, until its full size and majesty were revealed.

On the streets below, the battle stopped. Both attackers and defenders gaped at the sight of the huge dragon landing on the building.

The dragon Durnehviir landed besides Darys in a roar of wings. Its talons, seeking purchase on the roof, left deep furrows in the concrete. _Greetings, old friend. It is a strange realm you called me into._

"You must bear me over there, Durnehviir!" Darys said, pointing at the monster. "I must send him back to where he came from!"

 _Mehrunes Dagon? Ah, this shall be a battle that will be remembered through the ages! Mount, old friend!_

Darys mounted the huge reptile and secured himself. Durnehviir sprang up and unfurled his wings, circling to gain altitude.

On the streets, the battle resumed. The Titans were carving up a path towards Mehrunes Dagon, who let out another earth-shaking bellow. In the sky, Durnehviir responded with a defiant roar.

"Titans!" Robin shouted, as they drew near the monster. "Beast Boy and I will cover your backs! The rest, give Big Ugly everything you have!"

And they did. Green bolts and beams struck the monster; blue beams played over its body; heavy vehicles and enormous chunks of masonry, wrapped in cloudy black magic, struck it repeatedly. But the monster seemed invulnerable. Sizzling streams of fire burst from one of his hands, blinding arcs of lightning from the other. The Titans dodged and weaved but did not relent in their assault. Then the monster lifted his enormous battleaxe and struck the ground with it.

The closest buildings toppled. Bodies and debris flew up in the air. The ground was torn asunder and huge cracks yawned, spreading with incredible speed and swallowing everything and everybody on their way. Cyborg was caught in the path of one of the cracks, teetering on its edge. The pavement crumbled below his feet and he fell into the bottomless crevasse.

A green falcon dove down after him, changing size and shape as it arrowed into the depths. A few seconds later, a green pteranodon emerged, flapping heavily, carrying Cyborg in its claws, and deposited him on the surface. It then quickly changed into a green rhinoceros and charged the line of humanoids that was already approaching again.

The monster lifted his battleaxe again. Raven paused in her flight, shouting "Oh no, you won't!" and intoned the mantra as her eyes blazed white.

 _Azarath Metrion ZINTHOS!_

Black tentacles uncoiled from her body and wrapped themselves around the gigantic figure. It stood there, immobilized for a couple of seconds, and then with a mighty wrench it ripped the tentacles apart. The torn tentacles recoiled on Raven before she was able to dismiss them and flung her aside, spinning in the air head over heels.

As Raven wrapped Dagon in tentacles, Darys saw his chance. " _Now_ , Durnehviir!"

The dragon fell like a diving hawk towards Mehrunes Dagon. As it was about to strike, it unfurled its wings, slowing its dive, and breathed a stream of sizzling flame at Dagon's face, ripping at his chest with its scythelike claws. Darys jumped from the dragon's shoulders, both hands holding a dagger, shouting "Dagon! I have something that belongs to you, and I am returning it!"

Dagon was not wounded – no magic could affect him in this realm, and no physical attack could damage him – but he was blinded for a few seconds by the gout of flame that Durnehviir spat in his face. He could not see Darys falling towards him and stabbing the puny dagger with both hands into his forehead.

Where the dagger struck, a violent vortex of red and yellow appeared, quickly expanding. It started swallowing Dagon, expanding ever larger, until he disappeared completely. The humanoids started screaming, but the vortex sucked them in also, as they were left without the protection of their master. When the last creature disappeared, the vortex suddenly darkened and vanished.

It happened so fast that Darys was still falling as the vortex disappeared, but with a rush of enormous wings Durnehviir caught him in its talons and gently lowered him to the ground.

 _I thank you for a memorable battle, Dovakhiin. I now return to the Soul Cairn. Farewell."_

With a thunderous flapping of wings, the majestic creature flew off to disappear in the distance. An unnatural silence fell on the city. Raven landed, still dizzy from her roller-coaster ride, and managed to walk a more-or-less straight line towards Darys, where the other Titans joined her.

"I guess that now you will have the time to tell us your story" she said.


	5. The Plea

Darys refused to answer any questions until they were in the tower. Once they arrived, everyone gathered in the Main Ops Room. Darys walked to the center of the room and removed his helmet. The Titans gasped as one – the blue-grey skin, the pointed ears, fierce eyebrows, sharp chin, and more than anything, the slanting, red eyes – all gave Darys' face an infernal look.

"My name is Darys Othrelas. I am a Dark Elf, a Dunmer. My home is the world of Nirn, or Arena – a place that exists separately and independently from your own, a place we call Mundus. We are in a different plane of existence, or different universe, or another dimension, maybe all three – the technical details are unimportant."

"What is important is that the entirety of Mundus is in danger, and I must ask – _beg_ – your help if it is going to survive. It has been revealed to me that there is only one being in the Multiverse capable of doing so. That being is here, now, among us."

Having said that, he turned towards Raven, took a deep breath and proclaimed in a powerful voice.

"I am Darys Othrelas, Dovakhiin – the Dragonborn, bearer of the dragon blood, the one who defeated Alduin the World-Eater. I am the Slayer of Miraak, the First Dragonborn. I am the destroyer of Harkon, Lord of Vampires; I am Master of the Thu'um, Archmage of the College of Winterhold, Harbinger of the Companions. I am one of the most powerful beings on Nirn –" he walked over to stand in front of Raven, then suddenly fell to one knee before her "– and I humbly beseech your help to save my world from the evil force that is threatening to consume it."

The Titans were speechless. Raven bent and took hold of Darys' arm.

"Please get up. I am not used to people kneeling before me."

She helped Darys get up and guided him to the couch, making him sit down.

"We owe you a debt that must be repaid. But we cannot help you without knowing what is going on."

The Titans quickly sat down around them, waiting for Darys to start his tale. He swept his gaze over every one of them, ending it by looking at Raven. Still holding her in his gaze, he spoke.

"Several weeks ago – at least according to my time, since the passage of time may be different in your plane – and by pure chance, I discovered a stone disk or token that looked like this." He lifted his hand and repeated the simple spell that caused the disk to appear hovering in the air, rotating slowly, the baleful sign glowing on one of its faces.

"The Mark of Scath!" Robin whispered. "Trigon!" Raven said through clenched teeth.

Darys nodded. "Aye. At first I did not consider it anything more than a curiosity. But a few days later, it was stolen from my quarters at the College. This in itself meant that the token was much more important than it appeared. I shall not bore you with the details of my search for answers, but I will tell you of its results."

"Mundus is home to many sentient beings of many races. But it is also the dwelling of powerful forces of Order and Chaos, Creation and Destruction, Constancy and Change. These forces we know as the Aedra and the Daedra. While the Aedra are bound to the Bones of the Earth – the very laws and principles that make our world – the Daedra represent the forces of destruction, change and renewal. One of their most powerful representations, incarnations or manifestations – there is no correct word for it – is Mehrunes Dagon. He is known as the Daedric Prince of Destruction, Revolution and Ambition. He is always looking for ways to enter Nirn and establish his supremacy over it."

"We have foiled his attempts before. But now he succeeded in contacting, or was contacted by, another force of evil and destruction. Somehow he and Trigon touched each other's minds and found much in common. So they agreed on a plan that would give them both what they wanted, the extension of their rulership and therefore the increase of their power."

"It is not easy to talk of these beings in terms that mortal minds can comprehend fully, but for our purposes it is enough to know that they struck a bargain. Mehrunes Dagon would take over your world, while Trigon would conquer Mundus."

"Their plan is based on the fact that any magic or craft created outside the planes where their influence resides cannot affect them. This is why you could not harm Mehrunes Dagon. Only I could do it, and he is so much more powerful than me that I had to use Mehrunes' Razor, an artifact of enormous power, an artifact of Dagon's own making, to banish him."

"And so your world is now safe from Dagon. But my world is still threatened by Trigon, and there is nothing anybody can do. He is outside of the influence of our magic and our weapons. Even the Daedra and Aedra would not be able to fight him. Only the one that has banished him before could do it again." He concluded, his gaze resting once more on Raven.

Raven stood up and walked over to the panoramic window, looking though it but not really focusing on anything. Behind her, everybody waited in silence.

Raven was silent for a long time. Robin got up from the couch and walked over to her. In a soft voice, he said "Rae, this is your call. Whatever you decide, we are behind you."

Raven gave Robin a rare, almost shy smile, and turned to the others.

"My decision was made a while ago. But I must forbid you to join me in this task. It will be too dangerous."

Starfire got up from the couch and flitted over to her, taking Raven's hands into hers.

"Friend Raven, we have faced so many of the dangers together so far. It is not possible for us to leave you to do the battle alone, without us joining in the fight. Do not ask from us the sacrifice of such magnitude."

"I cannot risk your lives!" Raven almost shouted.

"That is true." Starfire replied. "You cannot. The risk to our lives is not caused by you, it is caused by us. It is our will that moves our muscles and our minds that decide to put ourselves in the way of the harm, for the sake of our friends."

"I was afraid that this would happen. And yet, Trigon must be stopped." She looked at Darys. "We will come with you."

"Wonderful!" laughed Starfire and hugged her. Raven returned the hug, then frowned and said "Please stop hugging me."

"So, when do we leave?" Robin asked Darys.

* * *

Next chapter is already being prepared, will upload in a day or two. Please let me know what you think so far.


	6. The Journey

Raven was helping Darys while he constructed the portal that would carry them to Nirn.

"It was certainly a lot simpler when I created the portal that you came through." she said to Darys, her statement a question in itself.

"That is because I had everything prepared beforehand, young sorceress." Darys smiled. "It took several hours for all the Masters of the College together to get everything ready. The two of us should finish by late tomorrow."

Raven looked at him, head slightly cocked to the side. "I do have a name, you know."

Darys flashed her a grin. "Sorry. As Archmage I sometimes have to give lectures to new students. Bad habit. But you are a sorceress, and you are young."

"And you are old enough to be my –" she caught herself, her hand going to her mouth, aghast at what she was about to say.

Darys looked at her from the floor, where he was sitting cross-legged, writing intricate runes into the conjuring circle. He spoke softly.

"You are what you make of yourself. No matter who or what created you."

Raven stared at him. "You know, then?"

"Of course. When I learned that you could help us, I also learned why."

She continued to look at him silently.

He rose from the floor and stood before her, putting his hands on her shoulders. He was at least a head taller than she was. "One's heritage is just a signpost on the crossroads of life. Whether the person will follow the signpost or choose another way, it is entirely his or her choice. Your choices have made you who and what you are, Raven. Not the one who created you."

He turned away from her and again sat cross-legged on the floor to continue inscribing the runes.

"Just as you do not have a father, I am not able to have children." He glanced at her from the floor. "But I have adopted two girls. They are about your age now." He returned his gaze to the inscriptions and sighed. "By Azura, do I miss them."

"Thank you." Raven said simply.

* * *

The Portal was ready. Darys stood in front of it, the Titans gathered around.

"This is what we will do. I will release a sending so that they may open the Portal on the other side. Once it is opened I will cross it, and you will follow. Then the warding runes will secure it, because it will have to stay open until you return. Any questions?"

There were none. Darys concentrated. The Titans could not see anything, and yet suddenly Darys spoke.

"Tolfdir, is that you? Are you awaiting us?" A pause. "We are coming."

His eyes snapped open. "Let us go" he said, and stepped through the portal. The Titans followed.

* * *

 _College of Winterhold, Province of Skyrim, Tamriel_

 _Year 4E 408, 24_ _th_ _Last Seed, 1910 hours_

They exited the Portal, one by one, onto the flat roof of a tall building and into the teeth of a blizzard. The wind was howling and carrying so much snow that it was difficult to see. They were received by several shadowy figures, whose faces were obscured by the snow. Darys herded them towards a door. He had to shout to make himself heard above the roaring gale. "Let us get out of this foul weather as soon as possible!"

They stepped through the door onto a spiral staircase. At the bottom, the staircase opened onto a vast, circular library. Soft light from many candles filled it, leaving only the domed roof in shadows. As they gathered in the foyer of the library. The shadowy figures that received them followed them, and Robin noticed that they looked a lot less mysterious and a lot plainer in the calm candlelight that illuminated the library.

 _If you can call that 'plain'. The woman is also a Dunmer, like Darys, and that huge guy looks more like a blonde lumberjack than a mage. And is that a… bipedal… cat?_

"Welcome to the College of Winterhold!" Darys said. "If you will allow me –"

"Who have you brought into my library, Archmage Othrelas?" a figure interrupted in a gravelly voice as it approached. "Have you made it clear to them what will happen if there is a single stain on one of my books? Or should I release a swarm of angry atronachs to feast upon their flesh?"

"Young heroes, meet Urag gro-Shub, Lord, Master and Protector of this Library." Darys said, rolling his eyes and smiling. He turned to Urag and said "Do not be concerned, Urag. We will not stay here."

"See that you don't." the gruff old Orc grumbled, turning back into his realm.

Cyborg looked at the fierce, green face, with pronounced tusks, and elbowed Beast Boy. "Yo, BB, you didn't tell us your grandpa lived here!"

"Please, follow me!" Darys said. "Tomorrow we must leave for Windhelm to discuss our strategy with other participants. You will be housed for tonight in the Hall of Attainment. Our three Journeymen – Brelyna Maryon, Onmund and J'zargo –" he introduced the Dunmer woman, the large mage and the cat-like creature "– will see to your needs. This way."

As everybody filed slowly out, Darys took hold of J'zargo's arm and whispered. "These are important guests. I will take it as a personal favor that their possessions remain in their power during their stay in our realm." J'zargo grinned and nodded his head.

The rest of the evening was spent chatting with Darys and the apprentices. Their hosts told them much about the land, its customs and the races that inhabited it. Soon, however, their heads were nodding and one by one they went to bed. All except Raven, whose conversation with Brelyna was too interesting for her to allow any thought of sleep.

"From what you have told me," Brelyna was going on, "your magic appears to be an intrinsic power, while for us it takes form of controlling extrinsic forces – like the four elements, the force of life, the barriers between planes, and in the case of the School of Illusion, control of the Mind. Your magic comes from within you, it is not an external force that one can capture, form and use."

"That is so. When I perform my magic, I have to use a part of my soul to do it. But you can tap into the energies of the cosmos – it gives you a much larger potential, correct?"

"Yes and no. As you said, we have at our disposal everything around us – earth, fire, air, water, life and unlife itself – but every one of us is limited in how much of that we can tap from Mundus. As we call on these forces – say, a conjuring of the element of fire for a fireball spell – part of our energy is consumed, and once it is used up, we have to wait until it is replenished. But your powers come from within yourself, and the only limits are ones that you place yourself."

"What do you mean?"

Brelyna thought for a moment. "Imagine a rock, a huge one. You can easily convince yourself that you can lift it with your magic, and you will then succeed. But imagine now that you want to crush this rock into pebbles – it is very difficult, and you may have troubles accepting the idea that you can. After a while, you may succeed, and the rock will burst. But now you want to put it back together – an absolutely impossible task. You would need to find and place every single pebble, grain of sand and dust mote. You will fail. Not because you cannot do it, but because you do not see – you cannot comprehend that you can."

"So that means that my power –"

"Is, for all intents and purposes, limitless." Brelyna cast a penetrating gaze into Raven's eyes. "I would not like to have that kind of power. I cannot imagine the price that you have paid – that you are still paying – for it."

Raven's gaze dropped. "I never asked for it" she said, lifting her eyes and meeting Brelyna's red eyes. "I never asked for it, but I have it, and I will make the best use I can of it. I owe it to myself and my friends."

Brelyna placed a hand on her shoulder. "I am not in the Archmage's confidence, so I do not know why he brought you here across the planes. But whatever it is, I cannot find any fault with his choice."

As Raven was pondering the reply, Darys approached and softly reminded them that they should sleep. The sorceresses rose and went to bed.

Darys turned to Tolfdir. "I have to speak to Paarthunax. I will be back by dawn. Guard them with your life."

The old wizard nodded. Darys hurried out.

* * *

 _Throat of the World, Province of Skyrim, Tamriel_

 _Year 4E 408, 24_ _th_ _Last Seed, 2321 hours_

Darys approached the dragon. It was sitting still, its slate-gray scales making it appear as if it was a stone statue, not a living being.

"Greetings, Paarthunax."

 _Drem yol lok, Dovakhiin. You have come for wisdom? Krosis. I have none these days._

"I come for strength, Paarthunax."

 _I know. Many of my zeymah will fight for you. But many more will fight against. Mu los dur. Our pride will be our own undoing._

"Not everything is lost, Paarthunax. There is always hope."

 _Yes. I have sensed it. Hi lost aan zun. And yet, many dovah will not see the sun set tomorrow._

"Neither will many men, or mer."

 _They will come from the North, Dovakhiin. Through Dunmeth Pass, and down the White River. Await them there. Dii fron – my kin – will meet you there._

"I know. We are already marshalling our forces there."

 _Then nothing more is to be said. Daan kos wahl._

The dragon returned to its statue-like immobility. With a heavy heart, Darys started the journey back.


	7. The Tower

The blizzard had abated during the night, and dawn came clear and cold. They started their journey early, leaving the college and passing through Winterhold, attracting many curious and even some hostile glances from the populace. Most of the Titans did not notice, but Robin did and cautiously mentioned it to Darys.

"Your sight is keen, Robin. People do not trust what they do not understand. Many blame the College for real or imagined disasters, regardless if it was the College's fault or not. And yet, we are their hope and may yet be their salvation, but they do not know it." He sighed heavily. "Sometimes I think it is easier to battle daedra and demons than the nature of men and elves."

"At least that seems to be one constant in the Multiverse. We often see the same thing in our world." Robin's face was grim.

"Let us not sully this wonderful morning with gloom. Most probably we will not see today's sunset, so let us make the most of what time we have left!" Darys said, clapping Robin on the shoulder.

"I guess that was supposed to be motivational" Robin said, but he smiled at Darys. "You are right. It is not the first time we go into danger. It's just that everything is so… strange."

Flashing a wide grin at Robin, Darys fell back a little and engaged in a muted conversation with Raven that lasted until they reached Fort Kastav, more than half way to their destination.

The fort was a bustling hive of military activity. The guards quickly noticed and reported their approach, so by the time they arrived, a delegation was waiting for them.

Darys stepped towards the man who was obviously in charge and embraced him.

"Jarl Balgruuf! It is good to see you again!"

"Dovakhiin! My heart is full of joy at the sight of you! Come, rest for a few moments before we proceed to Windhelm."

They entered the fort, to a welcome warmth radiating from a huge fireplace. "Friends!" said Darys to the Titans. "Please rest and eat, for we shall be continuing our journey in less than an hour. We have to reach our destination by early afternoon."

The Titans were more than eager to take his advice after the long, grueling march through the icy land. Sitting down at the roughly-hewn table, they attacked the delicacies spread before them with zeal.

"They may not have pizza, but what they do have is dee-licious!" said Cyborg, gnawing at a roast ox leg. "There's more than enough stuff even for Beast Boy! And there is no tofu!"

"I don't mind, bro! These pies are fantastic!"

Little else was said until they finished. Darys joined them to explain what awaited, unfurling a map of the province.

"We will continue our travel to the gates of Windhelm. We have already placed our command post at an old, ruined fort called Morvunskar, and we will direct the battle from there. The High Queen has called up the armies of the Nine Holds and has given the command to Jarl Balgruuf of Whiterun. They will enter Windhelm and protect its walls, but the main battle will be here, just outside the city" he said, pointing at a place on the map.

"The Imperial Legions and the Thalmor forces are already deployed side by side. They are our strongest and most numerous forces. As I said, the Army of the Holds will protect Windhelm, but they will also attack the enemy from the flank once the initial assault is stopped. Mages from the College will provide bombardment and support, together with the Imperial Siege troops and the Thalmor mages. Other units will be in reserve."

His face softened in a wistful smile. "The Thalmor and the Imperials are blood enemies, and yet they will fight shoulder to shoulder against a common foe today. Would that it could stay that way after the battle." His face fell. "But I fear it shall not be so."

"Darys, we never took part in a real battle. What will be our duties?" Robin asked.

Darys looked at the Titans one by one, returning his gaze finally to Robin.

"You must understand that no matter how many or how strong we are, we cannot prevail. Our job is simply to protect Raven at all costs, until she can defeat Trigon. You shall all be with me at Morvunskar, and your job will be to serve as last line of defense for your friend. If she is lost, we all are. If she is successful, the realm will live, regardless if the rest of us do or do not."

The good cheer of the Titans was suddenly subdued as realization of what they were heading for sunk in.

Several people joined them. Most had the look of hardened warriors, the hilts of their weapons well-worn. The leader of the group greeted Darys.

"Greetings, Harbinger. We are here."

"Vilkas! Good to see you all. Did you bring them?"

"Here they come" Vilkas said, turning around to look at two young girls running towards Darys.

"Papa! We are here!" the girls cried, jumping into Darys' arms. He returned their hug fiercely. "Sophie! Lucia! I missed you so much!"

Darys turned towards the Titans, an arm around each one of the girls' shoulders. "Allow me to introduce my daughters, Sophie and Lucia! Girls, these are the Titans, the heroes that will help us in our struggle!"

The two girls were of similar age as the Titans, beautiful, tall and wide of shoulders. Lucia was shorter, with black hair, wearing a full set of armor made from a translucent, greenish material. A wicked-looking axe of the same color was hooked in her belt. Sophie was taller, red-headed, armored in shiny black and with a closed helm under her arm. She wore a scabbarded curved sword, similar to a katana, of the same black material.

The two girls looked at their guests. Sophie fixed her gaze on Cyborg, while Lucia's eyes were darting from Beast Boy to Robin and back. A spark of anger appeared in Starfire's eyes as she frowned and possessively put her hand on Robin's forearm. Lucia also frowned, placed a hand on the haft of her axe, then started as if remembering something, looked at her father, smiled at Starfire and sat beside Beast Boy. Raven tried to hide a smile, product of her amusement at the girls' antics. And while none of the men noticed anything out of the ordinary, the girls had already gotten to know each other well, and had divided the spoils before uttering a single word.

Robin was worried. "Are you sure you want to bring your daughters to the battle, Darys?"

Darys lifted a quizzical eyebrow at him. "They are well trained and have already been in several skirmishes. Battle is not new to them. And they are not much younger than you are."

Robin was not convinced. "Yes, but… Your own daughters?"

Darys scowled. "If we do not win there will be no safe place for them." He stood up and rolled up the map. "Well, the sooner we start, the sooner we will get there!"

* * *

They reached the crumbling fort to meet a throng of people of all races, all milling about in a well-organized chaos. As they climbed towards the main tower itself, Darys looked up at the many bird-like forms circling the shrine. Beast Boy touched Darys' shoulder, pointed at them and asked "Sir, um, Darys, are those dragons?"

"Aye!" said Darys, his grim features lighting up in a fierce smile. He lifted his head up to the sky and shouted in a powerful voice. _Drem yol lok, sos zeymah!_ The dragons roared a deafening reply.

Beast Boy watched the creatures with a strange look in his eyes. "They are… beautiful!" he whispered to himself.

* * *

At the summit of the tower a pedestal of white stone was set up, its base carved with runes and fanciful images. Three Dunmer mages were standing around it. Darys greeted them.

"Master Neloth! Master Baladas! Master Aryon! I am glad to see that you are here!"

Neloth just harrumphed, while Baladas Demnevanni stood silent. Only Aryon spoke. "Today there is no other place to be, Darys. We are ready. Let us finish this!"

Darys nodded to Aryon and turned to the Titans. "These are the three most powerful wizards in Tamriel. They will erect and maintain a protective dome over our sorceress, but because of that they will not be able to do anything else. The rest is up to us – and Raven."

He took Raven to the side. "You know what you have to do, Raven. Do you need anything before you start?"

She shook her head and levitated up to the pedestal, taking up a lotus position. The three Telvanni wizards lifted their arms and a shimmering blue dome formed over Raven.

"We are ready", Darys sighed. "Let them come."

They did not have to wait for long.

The invading army poured like a flood down the far bank of the White River. Over them, scores of dragons shrieked their challenge to the defenders. The ground shook and the air was filled with the roars and shouts of the attackers. Behind the army, the enormous red bulk of Trigon hove into view.


	8. The Battle

The demon army roared towards the defenders, its front lines made of trolls, bears and wolves, mindless beasts used as shock troops to weaken the defenders. Behind marched the dark ranks of demons, while above the evil dragons circled, ready to swoop.

The first wave smashed into the formed ranks of the Imperial Legion. The line bent under the raw force of the assault, but held. Soon the line straightened out again, as the legionnaires made their discipline and tactics count. The attacking creatures were goaded into a mindless frenzy by the demons behind them, but the carnage they were herded into sparked in them a terror they could not resist. Many tried to swim up or downriver, but the icy water froze them quickly and claimed their lives. Some sought to escape to the sides of the river's embankment, but that only took them to the flank of the Imperials and into the hands of the Thalmor. The bright elven swords and spears created even more havoc than the blasts of fire and lightning that the Altmer unleashed.

The crimson of blood was etched visibly against the white of the snow as Darys watched grimly how the initial stages of the battle unfolded. The White River's waters were flowing red. The shore was choked with bodies and other debris left over from the first assault.

As the last of the frenzied animals died or slunk away in fear, the main battle line of demons struck at the defenders. This time the Imperial Legion line bent back like a bow and would not straighten. Dragons started swooping down on the Legion, blasting men with ice and fire, scooping up unfortunate soldiers to later drop them to the ground, mangled. Fireballs and lightning bolts rose from the ranks of the Thalmor to meet the dragons, while the Imperial Siege troops quickly loaded their heavy weapons and aimed at their skyborne assailants. Here a dragon would strafe the Imperial lines with its fiery breath, while over there another dragon roared in pain, skewered by a large ballista bolt, falling down to its ruin.

Two detachments of demons tried to outflank the Legion on either side, but the Thalmor held firm. While their armor was much lighter than the Imperial Legion steel, their weapons were much keener and their magic reaped a dreadful toll on the demons.

As the battle progressed, Trigon roared. It was a sign for the evil dragons and winged demons to assault the main target – the young sorceress, meditating and preparing herself inside the protective dome shimmering above her.

Darys turned to the Titans and shouted. "This is it, young heroes! Now is the time for you to show who you are!"

Starfire flashed up in the air, her green bolts raking the leading monster. The dragon roared in pain and spewed out its icy breath, but Starfire had already moved away. Starbeams flashed from her eyes and struck the dragon full in the face. It screamed its pain again, flying blindly forward, until it crashed into the side of the mountain and rolled, lifeless, to its bottom. An avalanche of rocks and debris covered it.

But that was only one out of scores of dragons and hundreds of winged demons. Cyborg picked the fire spawn from the sky with his cannon. As the beam struck a creature, it would disintegrate in a shower of sparks and ash. Robin fought methodically. He would pick a winged demon, bring it down with a well-placed birdarang or grapple shot, and once down, he would dispatch it with staff or sword. Every demon destroyed would turn to sparks and ash, leaving no more than a sooty stain on the snow and the smell of brimstone in the icy air.

Darys followed a dragon with his gaze as it roared overhead, releasing a fiery gout at the dome. He suddenly shouted.

 _Joor… Zah FRUL!_

The dragon dropped down like a stone. Darys ran over to it and jumped up on the scaly head, using one hand to steady himself, while with the other he plunged the dragonbone sword into the creature's neck, just behind the head, severing the spine. The dragon roared and collapsed as Darys jumped off and rolled, back on his feet.

The allied dragons broke their circling overhead and swooped in onto the attackers. Demons disintegrated under their claws, evil dragons were struck with fang and fire.

Beast Boy was watching the aerial battle, his eyes filling with tears at the sight of so many of the wonderful creatures being broken, burned and slain. But suddenly anger filled his heart, and he knew what he had to do.

His legs started growing, his back covered with ridged scales, his arms expanded and a leathery membrane extended between his extending fingers. His head turned reptilian, revealing saberlike teeth. The enormous green dragon roared deafeningly and jumped up into the air to join the fray.

Close by, the Companions and Darys' daughters formed in a chevron shape in front of the pedestal, with Vilkas at the apex. Their arrows struck both demon and dragon, and any creature that landed and tried to take them on the ground was quickly eliminated.

But for all the bravery and skill, the line of the Legion was ever bent backwards, while the Thalmor were pushed slowly from their flanks. Darys stole a quick look at Raven. Her clothes were now completely white and the jewel on her forehead blazed with a blinding light, but Darys knew she was not ready yet. They needed to buy more time, but there was nothing that they could do. At that moment, the Legion ranks broke and the demon horde surged forward with a terrifying howl.

As Darys watched in despair, suddenly there was a flash of blue light and hundreds of spectral warriors arose from the ground to face the demons, stopping their charge and reestablishing the line.

"Ho, Dovakhiin! Did you think that we would not be here on such a glorious day?"

Darys spun around to see the spectral forms of Gormlaith, Felldir and Hakon, weapons ready, battle lust in their ghostly eyes. He turned around to the troops and shouted, exulting.

"Warriors of Skyrim! Sovngarde is with us! To victory!"

His shout was taken over by hundreds of throats, becoming a battle cry that drowned the howling of the accursed horde. The Legion line, already reestablished, surged forward. The Thalmor rushed ahead.

 _Sovngarde is with us!_

The entire bank of the White River was soon clear of demons. The legionnaires clashed their swords and spears on their shields in the ages old gesture of defiance towards the enemy. But as Darys gazed over the battlefield, he knew that they were not victorious. They have just awakened their opponent's wrath.

The hulking figure of Trigon bellowed. Fire demons emerged behind him in countless numbers, like a swarm of sparks when one pokes a fire. They fell upon men and mer, upon beast and dragon. They perished in their thousands, but their numbers appeared inexhaustible.

Trigon bellowed again, and fresh ranks of demons charged to assault the defensive lines. He lifted his arm and a dark disk started creeping over the surface of the sun, plunging everything into darkness and turning day into night.

A score of winged demons and fire spawn landed close to the pedestal, their aim obviously to engage the helpless mages and weaken, or even eliminate the protective dome shielding Raven. Cyborg noticed it and jumped in front of them, shouting "I could use a hand over here!"

He blasted two of the hellspawn with the cannon and smashed a big demon in the face with his fist. It turned into ashes, the stench of brimstone making Cyborg choke and cough. As he recovered, he noticed he was surrounded. He was preparing to sell his life dearly when he heard a shout from behind him.

"Knight! Take on the ones in front of you, I will guard your back!"

Cyborg turned to see who it was. A figure in black armor, face hidden by a full helm, sprang towards the demons, bashing one to the ground with the shield, while a black sword swept through another, continuing its arc to finish the move by pinning the fallen demon to the ground, its body disintegrating into soot and ash.

Cyborg finally recognized the red hair streaming under the helmet. "Sophie? Thank you! I owe you one!"

"Not to worry, Knight Cyborg! I will have you repay it later!" she shouted, laughing, as she backed closer to him. They needed to exchange no more words; they stood back to back and faced the demons surrounding them.

Not far away, the chevron formed by the companions was almost being overwhelmed. They held their ground, furiously counterattacking the seemingly inexhaustible numbers of hellish creatures coming at them from all sides, swooping at them from above. "It is at times like this –" shouted Vilkas to no-one in particular, while cleaving a demon with a powerful overhead slash, "– that I regret giving up the beast blood!"

"Thankfully not all of us were that stupid!" answered Aela, dropping her bow and allowing the transformation to begin. The demons facing her suddenly backed down, awed by the sight. The huge werewolf that now stood before them did not give them time to ponder. With a snarl, Aela struck at the mass of demon spawn with her razorlike claws, ripping several of them to shreds, and falling on the biggest demon-chieftain she could see, tearing its throat out with a savage bite.

But there were still too many demons and too few defenders. The Companions gave ground grudgingly. Vilkas looked back at the helpless Telvanni wizards behind him in desperation, and then looked up as he heard a deafening roar coming from above.

A stream of fire reduced most of the surrounding demons to ash. A huge green dragon landed forcefully, the shock of his landing bowling the rest off their feet. The Companions cheered and surged forward to dispatch the fallen demons, all except Lucia, who ran to the dragon and shouted something in his ear. The dragon lowered his head and Lucia vaulted onto his shoulders, hooking her axe back in her belt and stringing her bow. The dragon sprang up and lifted off with a thunder of wings, his rider already nocking an arrow.

And yet it seemed that there was no end to the invading horde. Maybe for the first time in his life, Robin felt despair. He leaned on his staff to catch his breath, taking a look at Raven, who was sitting in lotus position under the dome, glowing with white light. He then saw Darys, slashing one demon with his sword. He was surprised to see a big grin on Darys' face.

Darys saw him staring and shouted. "Do not lose heart! Watch my back for a moment!"

Robin jumped up, staff ready, guarding Darys while he crouched and placed both hands on the rocky ground. A look of intense concentration passed over his face and the ground shook for a few seconds. He then rose to his feet, the grin on his face malevolent. "Let us see how our friends like this surprise!"

It was difficult to see in the gloom, but the impression Robin had was as if the rocks themselves gave birth to an incredible number of creatures that fell upon the demon horde, overwhelming them by numbers and ferocity. The creatures were man-sized but hunched, their skin a sickly grey. Robin realized in horror that they had no eyes, just large ears, nostrils and a mouth full of sharp teeth.

As soon as this sudden counterattack broke the horde's advance, the creatures retreated where they came from, taking away their dead and wounded.

One of the creatures cantered towards Darys. If Robin hadn't seen what just happened, he would have attacked it, convinced it is some kind of demon. It was twisted and bent and its movements were jerky and unnatural, but for all that it was quick and obviously dangerous. It approached Darys and spoke in a language that resembled someone choking or drowning more than speaking.

Darys nodded and placed his fist over his heart. The creature, satisfied, sauntered off and quickly disappeared into the gloom.

"Ugh. Who was that? _What_ was that?" Robin asked.

Darys was frowning. "A Falmer. Evil, twisted, filthy, tragic creatures. I must have killed hundreds of them during my travels. And he knows it." He looked at Robin. "But this is their land, just as it is ours. They are as much in danger as we are. I sent them the signal, and they struck. Now they are going back to their caves, carrying their wounded to treat them and their dead to eat them."

He turned towards the angry red glow that marked the place where Trigon was. "This has bought us a few more minutes, but that was the last surprise I had. I hope it will be enough."

He turned towards Raven, whose entire body was glowing strongly now, the jewel on her forehead almost blindingly bright.

 _She will be ready soon. I hope it will be soon enough._

"I think Trigon will throw everything he has on us now. Be ready!"

Darys was right. Trigon roared again, and the masses of demons, fire spirits, evil dragons and vampires surged again to claw, burn and smash the defenders. The Legion line, much depleted, bent inward perilously. The Thalmor started giving ground. The Sovngarde heroes disappeared one by one, overwhelmed by numbers.

The line broke. The demons surged forward. The defenders retreated in some semblance of order, creating a circle around the fort. The innumerable horde pressed them slowly back, by sheer weight of numbers.

Darys looked around him in desperation. There was only one more thing he could do. He raised his left hand and released a green lightning bolt into the sky, for a brief time illuminating the entire battlefield.

It was the signal that the Army of the Holds was waiting for. Abandoning their defense of Windhelm, they charged over the White River bridge, Balgruuf at the forefront, Irileth at his side. They smashed into the flank of the horde. The unnatural horrors went down before them like wheat before the scythe and they carved a deep wedge in the demonic formations.

But it was still not enough. The distraction relieved some pressure on the defenders of Morvunskar, but Darys knew it would not last. It was too late.

 _Azarath Metrion ZINTHOS!_

From the jewel on Raven's forehead, an enormous, ethereal white bird emerged, pausing to form fully above the dome where the sorceress was still sitting in lotus position. It cried its defiance at Trigon and launched itself at him.

The clash of weapons stopped. Every being was conscious that the real battle had just begun and that their contribution had ended. Darys watched as the ghostly white raven dove at Trigon, pummeling him with its wings, raking him with its talons. Trigon screamed.

The demon army shuddered as one, their master's will no longer guiding them. The defenders sensed the weakness and it gave them new strength. Their battle cries sounded again. _Sovngarde is with us!_

But Trigon was not yet defeated. He lashed back, his claws raking the spectral raven's wing. Robin heard a moan behind him and whirled, to realize that Raven's cloak and sleeve were ripped open. Red blood welled from three gashes on her upper arm, sharply defined against her white clothes.

"Darys! She is bleeding! We have to help her!"

"I know" Darys said through clenched teeth. "We cannot do anything. We must wait."

A beam shot from Trigon's eyes and managed to sear one of the bird's legs. Raven moaned again, as charred blisters appeared on her leg above the knee.

"He's killing her!" Robin shouted. Darys said nothing, his eyes blazing red with impotent fury.

Trigon's hands shot forward and he grabbed the ghostly white raven by the wings. Robin spun to look at Raven. He could hear the bones in her arms snap, her moans louder now.

"Darys!" he screamed in anguish. "Do something!"

Darys did not reply. He just watched the battle between the ghostly white raven and Trigon, his red eyes smoldering.

The spectral raven raked its undamaged claw over Trigon's face. The demon screeched, the horrible sound making everybody try to shut their ears. He released his grip and the white bird lifted its head and plunged, beak first, between Trigon's eyes.

Trigon's scream left everyone deaf for a few seconds. Beneath his feet a tornado started to whirl. The white wings and beak of the spectral raven exploded from Trigon's head, and with a triumphant screech, the raven spread its white wings over its defeated foe.

Trigon's form elongated as it was sucked into the vortex, the demons, fire spirits and other creatures not native to the plane sucked in together with him. A despairing shriek could be heard from the vortex as the final remains of Trigon and the last creatures disappeared. The whirling tornado collapsed on itself and also vanished. The shadow over the sun slowly disappeared, ending the eclipse, the sun warming the frozen land again. The great white bird returned, flapping heavily, and entered Raven's body. She slumped, unconscious, on the pedestal.

"Colette! Bring me Colette Marence, now!" Darys shouted.

The three Telvanni mages dropped the protective dome, exhausted, while Colette ran to the pedestal to take care of Raven. Robin ran after her.

A huge green dragon landed, its passenger jumping off. It collapsed into the form of Beast Boy, his hair singed, his clothes torn, his arms and legs covered with slashes and burns and caked with blood.

"We won! WE WON! Woo-hoo!" He hugged Lucia and turned to the pedestal. "Rae, we won! You won!" he shouted, running towards Raven. As he reached it, he realized the state she was in. He stopped, shock and fear in his face. "Rae? Rae, are you all right? Raven!"

Robin put his hand on Beast Boy's shoulder. "She's gravely wounded, BB, but she'll pull through. I promise."

Colette Marence, a look of intense concentration on her face, was already working on healing the terrible wounds that Trigon caused on Raven. Broken bones shifted to their correct position and melded together; wounds stopped bleeding and slowly closed, burns retreated to reveal healthy skin below.

Colette stood up groggily. Her hands were shaking, but there was a smile on her face. "She will be fine."

A shout of victory from countless throats shook the skies. The allied dragons added their roars to the clamor. Darys sheathed his ash-stained sword and started walking downhill, towards the carnage that the Legion and the Thalmor had suffered. His face was grim.

 _We won, but the price was high._

He came to the front lines, where the dead and the wounded were piled as they fell. He barked several commands to his followers and quickly Restoration mages started their healing work on those that could be helped.

Darys finally came to the place where the bodies were most dense. There were no remains of the demonic horde but for some lingering stench of brimstone and the ash covering the snow, but two of the bodies attracted his attention. One was armored in richly embossed Imperial armor and the other in finely woven Altmer robes. A deep sigh escaped from Darys' chest. Two sworn enemies, Emissary Elenwen and General Tullius, died side by side, fighting together.


	9. The Farewell

The Titans were standing in the throne room of the Blue Palace, slightly uncomfortable with the ceremony held in their honor, while the High Queen Elisif spoke.

"Young heroes, you have traveled from far away lands to aid us in our time of desperate need. You have placed your lives and souls in jeopardy in order to save our realm and countless lives. There are no words nor gifts that could express our gratitude. But this does not mean that we will let you leave our world without some token of recognition for your acts. Therefore, please step forward as we call your names and receive the rewards that we have prepared for you. Archmage Othrelas, if you will?"

Darys stepped forward and said "The gifts are somewhat of a personal nature, so I will give them separately to each one of you. Robin, please step forward."

Robin approached Darys, who spoke. "Your courage, determination and leadership have been decisive in the battle. Therefore I present to you –" he held forward a scabbarded sword with a single-edged, slightly curved blade, similar to a katana – "a sword made from the finest ebony mined under Red Mountain and crafted by Eorlund Gray-Mane himself. It will cut through stone and steel as if they are paper, and it will even defeat Dwemer alloy and Orichalcum. Its enchantment will dismay your enemies and kindle courage in your friends. Use it wisely and it will see you through many more victories."

Robin took the sword, overwhelmed. He stammered a thanks, bowed and returned to his friends.

"Beast Boy. Lord of Animals, Visage of Dragons, please approach." Beast Boy blushed at the epithets and stepped forward.

"There is little that I could gift you, for you have shown us not only your strength and power, but also your courage and wisdom. Whatever gift I thought of bestowing to you was far from satisfactory, until I remembered this. This is the Ring of Hircine, the Lord of the Hunt. I have studied the effect it would have on you. It will give you the power of another animal when you transform. You may have the strength of a bear in the swift form of a deer, or the cunning of the fox in the form of a wolf. May it serve you well."

Beast Boy took the ring, bowed clumsily and walked back. Lucia took his arm and whispered in his ear. He blushed again.

"Knight Cyborg, the Steel Fist, Lord of Battle. Please approach and receive your reward."

Cyborg walked over to Darys, who smiled and offered him a bracelet large enough to be placed around Cyborg's metallic arm.

"I have enchanted this bracelet myself, with guidance from Paarthunax. It will add the power of the Voice to the bolts that you unleash, increasing their power tremendously. May your enemies tremble and fall when they feel its thunder!"

Cyborg nodded his head in gratitude, then strode back to stand beside Sophie. Darys looked at them and smiled knowingly. He then got serious again and continued.

"Starfire, Mistress of the Sky, Dragonslayer! Please step forward!"

Blushing, Starfire flitted towards Darys. "The Bards are already singing of your strength, bravery and beauty across the realm. Yet you have another power, one that may be hidden from a casual observer, but which is probably the strongest and most important talent that you have." He gave her a golden circlet with a perfect emerald set into its center, saying "Wear this and neither you nor your friends shall know despair nor anguish, but share among all the happiness and joy of your existence. It is possibly the greatest gift that you carry within yourself."

Starfire lowered her eyes, blushing furiously, then curtsied prettily and flitted back to stand beside Robin, taking his hand.

Darys cleared his throat. "Last I may call you, but foremost you are in our hearts and minds, sorceress Raven. Please come forth."

Raven approached, pulling down her hood. Darys smiled at her and said in a quiet voice, so that only she could hear.

"I have wondered for a long time about the gift I could give you," he said, as he presented her with a silver necklace that had a beautiful, clear amethyst set in it. The workmanship was exquisite, the jewel perfect. As Raven accepted the necklace, she could feel the mystical energy in it.

"The necklace was also made by Eorlund himself, and the enchantment on it is mine. It will allow you to release your hold on your emotions while you wear it, guarding you from the effects they have on you and those around you."

"Thank you", Raven said in a hoarse whisper, nodding her head and returning to her friends.

"And now," Darys said, "let us celebrate!"

* * *

The celebration in the courtyard of Castle Dour lasted the entire afternoon and night, and it continued well into the next day. An endless supply of food and drink of all kinds constantly came and went. The Bards from the College took turns singing a mix of old epics and new creations that evoked the events in the battle. Jugglers and illusionists awed the spectators. Dancing and music brought out everyone's good cheer, and even the inevitable drunken brawls were conducted and tolerated in a general spirit of light-heartedness. There seemed to be no end in sight, and even die-hard party animals like Cyborg and Beast Boy were starting to get exhausted with the endless revelry.

Darys moved gracefully through the crowd, making sure that his guests were never lacking of food, drink or entertainment. He noticed Robin and Starfire sitting together, a frown on Robin's face, while Starfire was watching in fascination at a literal parade of young, strong warriors trying to catch her attention, showing off and flexing their muscles. Darys approached the couple, smiling, and whispered something in Robin's ear. Robin looked up at Darys, still frowning. Darys winked at him. Robin hesitantly placed his hand over Starfire's, causing her to turn and look into his eyes with a strange smile on her face. The young warriors vying for her attention melted back into the crowd, looking for other opportunities.

Cyborg was sitting in the midst of the Companions, laughing and exchanging with them tall stories about prowess both in combat and at the dining table. Sophie was sitting beside him, gazing at Cyborg with an inscrutable expression in her green eyes. Darys smiled and left them to their enjoyment.

He then sauntered off to where the Bards of the College sat in a circle around Beast Boy. Lucia, sitting beside him, noticed her father's gaze and smiled at Darys. He smiled back and gave her an imperceptible nod. She grinned at him and blew him a kiss.

Darys felt a touch on his arm. He turned to see Raven watching him with a somewhat puzzled expression.

"I thought fathers were possessive of their daughters", she said quietly, a slight smile on her face.

"None more than me", he replied, returning the smile. "But I would be a harsh father to them indeed, if I did not allow them to celebrate and live their lives fully." His smile faded. "Ours is an unforgiving land, and one never knows if the joy and happiness that one finds now will be the last one. So I let them find it, watching anxiously so that it does not turn into regret." He smiled at Raven again. "Besides, their current interests could hardly be improved upon!"

Raven sighed. "I sometimes wish –"

"I know." Darys interrupted her, taking her hand, his face serious. "But you do have a family, and you know it. Do not allow the yearning for what you lack blind you to the blessings of what you do have."

"I realize that. But it is still hard for me not to wish for it."

"It is not wrong to wish. Wishing for better things makes us stronger, as it gives us purpose and direction in life. As long as the wish does not turn into obsession, it is what gives us hope and determination to face life and its troubles. But I should not have to tell you this, you know it as well as I do."

Raven smiled. "Thank you again." She stood beside Darys for a few moments more, watching her friends enjoy themselves.

Darys looked at her. "You still have doubts." It was not a question.

She looked up at him. "Yes, but they are less personal. I was wondering if all this could happen again. I would not like to have to go through it all more than once."

Days looked into the distance. "It will not be repeated, at least not in the near future or in a similar way. Other forces have been awakened and made aware of what has happened. The Daedric Princes are always in strife with each other, and they will be watchful of each other now, so that none of them is allowed to do something like this again. Your world may have similar forces that balance each other in the background, beyond what we may know or feel. And yet it does not mean that we can afford to lower our guard, for it may fall on us again to defend that which we value most." A smile appeared on his face and he looked at her. "But if such a day comes, I can think of nobody that I would like at my side more than you and your friends."

* * *

As they gathered around the portal, they exchanged their farewells. Darys embraced them all once again and stood watching, his arms around his daughter's shoulders, as the Titans disappeared one by one through the swirling vortex.

As the last one of them stepped out of the portal and into the Main Ops Room, the portal diminished and finally vanished. The Titans, standing together, watched the spot on the floor where it stood.

Finally, with a sigh, Robin said "Well, we're home."

* * *

Thanks to all that had the patience to read this story. Please let me know if you liked it or not, and if you have any ideas or suggestions please feel free to PM me. Cheers all!


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